Now broadcaster told to say sorry over 'vermin' comment

Phillip Coorey, Stephanie Gardiner3 Oct 2012, 3 a.m.

ALAN JONES has been forced to say sorry for the second time this week after a tribunal ruled yesterday that he must apologise on air for calling Lebanese Muslims ''vermin'' before the Cronulla riots seven years ago.

Now broadcaster told to say sorry over 'vermin' comment

''I am not in the business of ignoring a big audience'' ... Tony Abbott, right, with the MP for Paterson, Bob Baldwin, and Newcastle Liberal Party candidate Jaimie Abbott, during a visit to the Weathertex factory north of Newcastle yesterday.

ALAN JONES has been forced to say sorry for the second time this week after a tribunal ruled yesterday that he must apologise on air for calling Lebanese Muslims ''vermin'' before the Cronulla riots seven years ago.

The setback for the besieged radio personality came as Tony Abbott stepped up his criticism of Jones's remarks about Julia Gillard's late father and sponsors continued to desert him.

The Opposition Leader's condemnation came as Jones took to the airwaves yesterday to admit he was wrong to insult the Prime Minister but also to claim that people were out to destroy him and other media were jealous of his success.

His day failed to improve when, in an unrelated matter, the Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled against an appeal by Jones and ordered he apologise on air and in writing for vilifying Muslims.

Keysar Trad, the Islamic community leader who brought the complaint against Jones, welcomed the ruling and said he hoped Jones's apology was more genuine than the heavily qualified apology he offered to Julia Gillard.

It is not clear when Jones will make the apology.

Jones was secretly recorded 11 days ago telling a Sydney University Liberal Club function that Ms Gillard's father, John, who died recently after long battle with illness, had really died of shame because of his daughter's lies.

At the same function, a jacket made from a chaff bag was signed by Jones and auctioned. He has previously said on radio Ms Gillard should be put in a chaff bag and dumped at sea.

Multiple sponsors have withdrawn their advertising from Jones's program and a cavalcade of government ministers have lined up to demand Jones be sacked and to blame Mr Abbott by claiming he had created the culture of personal abuse that gave the green light to the conservative commentators to say such things.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said that given Mr Abbott was ''the most aggressive and abusive leader in our history, it's little wonder that people like Mr Jones feel free to fill our airwaves with his poison''.